


What's Your Name, Man?

by hamiltrashqueen



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Meetings, M/M, Misunderstandings, Short & Sweet, Swearing, more like Hamilton being Hamilton, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-01-25
Packaged: 2018-09-19 18:51:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9455795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamiltrashqueen/pseuds/hamiltrashqueen
Summary: The doorknob jiggles again, and John casts an annoyed glance up at it. Clearly this person is at the wrong door – why don’t they just give up already? Then, though, there’s a click, and the door finally opens. It’s not Lafayette.“You’ll never guess who I just ran into in the hallway,” says dark-haired man that stomps into the room. He doesn’t so much as glance at John as he throws himself dramatically across Lafayette’s bed, rumpling the perfectly pressed covers. John stares at the stranger, aghast, but the man hardly pauses for breath as he barrels on, giving John no chance to ask him who the hell he is and how he got in here without a key.In which Alexander has the wrong room, and John can't get a word in edgewise to tell him so.





	

John isn’t settled into his new dorm room for ten minutes before his roommate is flitting out the door, spouting something between English and French about how his _amis_ are waiting for him at the bar a few blocks from campus and he hasn’t seen them all summer since he was back home in France and John doesn’t mind being alone for a little while, yes? He doesn’t even wait for an answer from John, just flips his scarf dramatically around his neck (and really, does he need a scarf? It’s _August_ ) and takes off. 

So, with a sigh, John falls back onto his bed and listens to the thrum of conversation filtering in from either side of their room. He had been hoping to get off on a good foot as soon as possible with his new roommate after his disastrous experience with Charles Lee last year. Aside from a few short Facebook messages after they had gotten their room assignments, Lafayette and John haven’t spoken much at all. Still, John is optimistic about his roommate this year. Lafayette doesn’t seem like a terrible guy, truth be told, just a bit… _extravagant_. 

“Europeans,” John mutters to himself. Then again, he’d spent quite a few summers trekking across the pond with his father, and he doesn’t recall meeting anyone quite like Lafayette.  


Oh, well. John doesn’t mind a bit of time to himself before the first day of classes. He could start reading some of his course materials and try to get ahead a bit. Or, and probably more realistically, he could start that new docuseries on Netflix that had caught his eye. 

Just as he’s tugging his laptop out of his case, the doorknob starts to rattle. John pauses and looks up, but he no sooner does than the rattling stops. Someone had the wrong room, probably – it’s only move-in day, after all, it’s bound to happen a few more times. 

John shrugs it off and turns his laptop on, idly wondering if he really wants to start the docuseries or rewatch _Toddlers in Tiaras_ for what may or may not be the fourth time. The doorknob jiggles again, and John casts an annoyed glance up at it. Clearly this person is at the wrong door – why don’t they just give up already? Then, though, there’s a click, and the door finally opens. It’s not Lafayette. 

“You’ll never guess who I just ran into in the hallway,” says dark-haired man that stomps into the room. He doesn’t so much as glance at John as he throws himself dramatically across Lafayette’s bed, rumpling the perfectly pressed covers. John stares at the stranger, aghast, but the man hardly pauses for breath as he barrels on, giving John no chance to ask him who the hell he is and how he got in here without a key. 

“Thomas Fucking Jefferson,” continues the intruder, sneering around the name. “And you know what he says to me, Laf? He looks me up and down with that stupid look on his face, you know the one, and he goes, ‘Ah, Alexander!’” He – Alexander, it seems – puts on a shrill, snobby voice that John somehow suspects sounds nothing like Thomas Fucking Jefferson. “’I see they’ve decided to let you come back after your little disaster in Professor Washington’s class last year.’ 

“ _My_ disaster! Can you believe that? I mean, we were both put on probation, and besides, _he_ was the one who started it, with all his anti-immigration bullshit. And you know he didn’t even mean what he was saying, he was just trying to pissed me off! And it worked, too, damn it,” he added in a mutter. 

Alexander huffs and, abruptly, sits up and tugs his hair out of its sloppy bun. He shakes it out, sending it falling around his shoulders, as he continues to rant about this Jefferson and someone else named Madison (who, John is able to put together, is Jefferson’s roommate, and is evidently as terrible as Jefferson himself). 

“And you know what else? They still get to room together! And it’s all because their parents funnel so much money into the university – I mean, you _know_ that’s why. Come on! They can’t separate us and not them! It’s blatant favoritism! It’s unfair to the set of roommate who, oh, you know, just happen to both be immigrants, as well! Coincidence? Yeah, right!  


“And sure, we’re the ones who put that hog in their room last year, but they dumped our text books in the fountain first! I had to work overtime for three months to afford another set. Three months, Laf!”  


Here he looks John square in the eye, points an accusatory finger at him, and still doesn’t seem to notice that John is not, in fact, Lafayette. John, meanwhile, is stuck motionless and wide-eyed to his spot on his bed. All he can think is, _Jesus, this kid is insane_. It’s probably best he doesn’t say anything, anyways. Maybe Alexander will just finish his rant and leave as suddenly as he came, never noticing his misidentified audience. 

“And then, oh yeah, and then,” he continues, laughing in a way that clearly tells John he does not actually find anything funny about what happened _then_ , “so, as if that’s not enough, as we’re standing there chatting, do you know who walks up to us?” 

“Jesus, I can only imagine,” John says, inexplicably pulled into Alexander’s rambling narrative. He starts for a moment at the sound of his own voice after listening to Alexander for so long. Alexander, however, doesn’t seem to hear him, as he continues without acknowledging John.  


“Aaron Burr, sir,” Alexander says, sneering around this name, too. Burr, John is familiar with – they’re both pre-law, although Burr is one year his senior. “And you’ll never believe it, Laf - he’s the fucking RA this year. I mean, Christ, if we had a hard time getting away with shit last year!” He laughs again. “Man, I wish Herc had applied to do it another year. He wasn’t thrilled about some of our shit, you know, but he let most things slide. He’s a cool dude.” 

Alexander sighs, finally stopping to take a breath, and falls once more back onto the bed. 

“Anyways,” he says, after a pause, his tone lightening, “I’m ready for a beer or six. Are you ready to go yet, you pompous omelet?” 

John says nothing, only continues to gape at him. Frankly, he’s not entirely sure what he’s just witnessed. He’s completely speechless. Alexander, however (shockingly) is not. 

“Have you even been listening to me?” he complains, but his tone is teasing. “Or have you been too busy staring at yourself in the mirror to hear a word I’ve said?” 

He sits up, finally grinning (and John flushes a bit despite himself because for as crazy as Alexander seems to be, he is cute). The smile doesn’t last, however, as Alexander finally catches sight of his audience and realizes that he is not, in fact, Lafayette. 

“Oh,” he says. If John is expecting an apology or some embarrassment from Alexander, he’s sorely mistaken. Instead, what he gets is, “Who are you?” 

“Um,” John says by way of reply. It’s like Alexander has taken all words, leaving John without the ability to convey just who he is. 

“You must be Laf’s new roommate, huh?” Alexander guesses. He gives John a halfhearted once over, and then turns to the stack of text books on John’s desk with much more interest. His eyes run over their titles, taking each one in carefully. “Law school?”  


“I – yeah, I do – I’m pre-law,” John says dumbly. Then, sounding not only stupid, but rude as shit, he adds, “Lafayette already left.”  


Luckily, Alexander just laughs. John feels his face flush despite himself.  


“Yeah, I kind of guessed as much,” he says. “So, law school. You know Burr?”  


“Um – yeah, sort of.”  


“What do you think of him? Real talk, now, this is a safe space. I think I made my stance on him pretty clear.” Alexander smirks, unrepentant. 

“Um,” John says, for what feels like the hundredth time. It’s hard to keep up with this kid. “I mean - he’s kind of, sort of... an arrogant prick. Sometimes. I think." 

Alexander laughs, delighted, and claps his hands together.  


“Hey, man, you’re all right,” he praises. “Why don’t you come get a drink with us? It won’t be just me and Laf – some other friends of ours, too. You know the Schuyler sisters?”  


“It’s one in the afternoon,” John should say, or even, “School starts tomorrow,” but instead, he finds himself grinning back at this odd, infectious man and tossing his laptop aside.  


“Sure,” he says. “Just – one thing, first.”  


“Yeah?” Alexander prompts. His tone his flipped from incised to absent like nothing as he thumbs through John’s text books, and if John wasn’t already thrown completely off-kilter, it probably would have startled or offended him more than it did.  


“How’d you get in here? Did you pick the lock?” John asks.  


“I stole Burr’s keys,” replies Alexander, flippant.  


John laughs so hard that his sides start to hurt. Alexander grins down at him, utterly pleased with himself, and slings an arm around John’s shoulders when he straightens back up.  


“I feel like this is the start of a beautiful, wonderful friendship.”

**Author's Note:**

> My first work here! Kudos and comments are appreciated!
> 
> Also, I'm on [tumblr](http://hamilttrashed.tumblr.com/)!


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